Akhil Gogoi questions govt sincerity on proposed

Condemning revocation of the Article 370 as "one of the darkest days" of Indian democracy, peasant leader and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi on Monday questioned the Centre's sincerity on the proposed Constitutional safeguards to the people of Assam.

It is a crucial test before the people of Assam who have been seeking special status and Constitutional safeguards, said Gogoi who heads the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS).

"The development (abrogation of Art 370) came at a time when the Centre is talking about giving Constitutional safeguards to Assam through Clause 6 of the Assam Accord," Gogoi told a press conference.

Clause 6 of Accord seeks to provide constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.

The Centre has set up a committee in January this year to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

A six-year agitation by the AASU demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord by the Rajiv Gandhi government and the All Assam Students Union (AASU) on August 15, 1985.

Gogoi expressed apprehension that following abolition of the Consitutional safeguards of the people of Kashmir, the ongoing deliberations to give Constitutional safeguards to Assamese people will lead to nowhere.

"This BJP government had curtailed Assam's special state status in 2015. We suspect that the BJP is going to curtail the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. It appears that the government will also attack the benefits given to the tribals in the country," the RTI activist alleged.

Inroduction of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill in Parliament, proposing bifurcation of the state into two union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh -- is the biggest attack on India's federal structure till date, claimed Gogoi.

"We strongly condemn the government decision on Jammu and Kashmir and the move to terrorise the people of the state by mobilising huge amount of security forces there. By this move, the Constitutional safeguards that the state was enjoying till now have been withdrawn," he said.